Autumn Artistic Retreat

TURNING THE PAGE

I know it's cliché to say that time flies, but WOW, time flies. Just over a year ago, I opened my photography business up publicly on social media and online, and I started taking complete strangers as clients. I cannot express enough gratitude for the people who gave me a chance when my public portfolio was still so slim. (Thank you, too, for pretending along with me that I wasn't coming across as nervous as I'm sure I actually was!)

In late September, I took a short break to go on a roadtrip with my husband to celebrate this anniversary-of-sorts, and it turned into the best artistic retreat I could have hoped for. I took time during this trip to reflect on the growth of my business in the past year, to genuinely celebrate the wins and contemplate how to incorporate the lessons I learned as I move forward, and (perhaps most importantly) to dream big about the future.

A TOAST

I often forget to celebrate my accomplishments. It's a bad habit, I know, but I have a tendency to fixate on the things I think I did wrong or could have done better, instead of shining the spotlight on the things I did well. So, taking time during this trip to celebrate the growth of my business was a vulnerable yet cathartic thing for me to do.

This celebration required a dedicated exercise in making sure that I wasn't moving the goalposts on myself, comparing myself to others, or selling myself short. I can always grow more or move my business in a different direction, but today, right now, it's something I can look at with pride in knowing that I worked really hard to get it to where it is. More growth may be on the horizon, and if it is, I don't want to rush it or force it to get here faster. Right now, I feel so lucky to be busy at all, and I don't take that for granted.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, because I really do mean it: whether you said kind words to me at a local vendors' market this summer, booked me for a session, referred me to a friend, gave me positive feedback, or even just liked an Instagram post even though I'm not the photographer for you, THANK YOU. Running a small business is scary, but I am encouraged and uplifted by every person who sent these kinds of positive vibes my way over the last year.

LOOKING AHEAD

I'm genuinely so excited about the ideas that my husband and I came up with during our roadtrip for the future of this business. While there are some plans that I can't share quite yet, there are others that I'm brimming with excitement to share.

Starting with the most straightforward, I'm excited to photograph more weddings and elopements. The weddings that I got to photograph in 2025 were easily among the top highlights of my year. There was something so special about capturing the romance of those events and seeing how each couple celebrated their love for one another in their own unique ways.

Next, I'd like to travel more and take more photos of unique landscapes, flora, and fauna in the places I visit. I'd like to sell prints of the best ones. And yes, I do know that might mean I'll need a business name change ;)

And I really can't wait to share my idea for my take on a "studio"…at least while we work on building a full indoor one. Studio sessions have been a frequent request this year and I really think you're going to love my take on blending outdoor spaces with studio-style features. This is gonna be FUN.